If the Lights Go Out

If the Lights Go Out...

May 20, 2007 ["Big Event" Sunday]

Text: Acts 2:37-47

Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

NRSV

It dawned on me that I could have chosen a better title for this sermon.

On a day when we raise pledges that will help reduce debt, for me to title a sermon, "If the Lights Go Out"...Well, you might get the wrong impression.

The title of this sermon, of course, has nothing to do with paying the bills.

It comes from something else.

It comes from something that we've all had experience with, especially over the last few years: the lights in our house going out unexpectedly.

In August of 2005, coming back from a Saturday day trip, a storm moved through the area. Power was knocked out in our subdivision.

Unfortunately, by now we all have our routine down pretty well when this happens. The first thing you do is something that's very productive. You look up to the ceiling and cry, "Oh, NO!" Then you pray to the living room light, "PLEASE come back!"

Of course, nothing happens. You wait exactly 3.5 minutes, then dial 314-342-1000. Gee, I wonder what number that is? [Ameren UE] You learn from a recording that they know power is out in your area. They will then say, "Power is expected to be restored "by 4 p.m." or "by 6 a.m." You know you're in trouble if they say, "Power will be restored...shortly." In other words, they haven't a clue.

Which was the case in August, 2005, for our little group of homes. Power was out for almost 5 days.

That's pretty annoying. You make other arrangements for food, air conditioning, and-of course one of my favorite activities-blow drying your hair.

BUT...something amazing happens, too, when the lights go out. And something good came from the five-day inconvenience.

After the first day of the power outage, my family and I went out of our house for a walk...AND WE ACTUALLY SAW OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR SUBDIVISION?!

Who would have guessed that people lived in those houses that surrounded ours!

Oh, occasionally we'd see people mowing lawns, but they could have been hired.

No, when the lights went out, the tv's went off. So did the computers. And the stereos.

When the lights went out, people had to get out of their houses, and onto their lawns. They'd set up lawn chairs and recliners.

And as my family walked, we all did something amazing:

WE TALKED TO OUR NEIGHBORS! Complained about the weather, about the outage. Then after complaining got to know one much better. Offered any help we could to one another. Because the lights went out, for a few days we ceased being a "hood" and became a "neighborhood."

When something interrupts our routine that keeps us apart, we come together.

That's what today's Bible story is about. Something interrupted people's regular routine.

People heard the Gospel message:

"Repent, and be baptized...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

They did just that. They opened their lives to Christ. He entered their hearts, forgave their sins, gave them purpose and meaning in life.

Then after experiencing Christ, what did they do? Go back to the t.v. in their living rooms? Go back to the computer or Nintendo? Go back to taking care of just "me 'n mine" as we say in Poplar Bluff?

Of course not.

People went out of their homes, and started talking with one another.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship... They would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need...They spent much time together in the temple, [then] broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts."

This describes the church, doesn't it?

People who, together, listen to the Lord's TEACHING. People who, together, FELLOWSHIP with one another, enjoying each other's company. People who, together, SERVE one another, addressing the needs each one has.

The church was formed when something-Someone?- interrupted people's regular routine, and drew them out of their houses, and into a family.

The church was formed when the lights went out.

Isn't that the story of this church?

Once upon a time, in 1955, people's lives were interrupted by a vision.

"Let's form a Methodist church in South County." And people came together and built a small sanctuary, worshipping at Ronnie's Drive In until it was built.

They grew, and things became comfortable, until 1964.

"Let's build an Education Building, so there will be places for people of all ages to learn about God." And people came together and built our education wing.

They grew, and things became comfortable until 1984.

"Let's expand our Sanctuary, so more people can praise God." And so they came together and built a beautiful renovation of our worship space.

They grew, and things became comfortable until 2004.

"Let's add-on to our building, so our growing congregation will have a place to gather on Sunday mornings, so we'll have modern and accessible classrooms, so our youth will have their own space, so we'll have a Fellowship Hall that can seat 100's of people, so we can have a gym for people in our church and community to use."

And what happened?

The lights went out.

Our regular routine as a church was interrupted by this vision.

Without the "inconvenience" of this vision, you're sitting in a parking lot, right?

How was this made possible? The vision brought us out of our individual "homes"-our 8, 9:30, 11 o'clock homes-and made us family, one family.

How appropriate we celebrate that this morning-in this place, as one family-don't you think? This morning, you can see faces who've been here possibly for decades, and you never knew they were members in YOUR family. How many of you have seen someone here you did not know?

We're moving ahead this morning into God's future for us.

And you know what it takes to move ahead into this future?

This is when you say, "OK, here it comes. He's going to say, 'It takes MONEY.'" Right?

No, that's NOT what I'm going to say.

What it takes is excitement, joy, happiness, and thankfulness in our hearts at God interrupting our individual lives, and bringing us together as one family with a future. You feel that excitement, joy, happiness, thanksgiving-then the money will come.

The earliest Christians, hearing the Gospel and catching the vision, gave up what they had joyfully, sharing with the family.

People in this church, at every stage of its history, caught the vision and sacrificed joyfully to move into that vision.

We have an opportunity this morning to continue that tradition.

If you come with your pledge to Next Step Forward out of a sense of obligation or burden, I don't want you to come. We'll make do-the lights won't literally go off.

When you come, I want it to be out of excitement, joy, happiness, thanksgiving at being called into the blessing of family here. The Good News of Jesus Christ has interrupted your life, brought you out of your hood and into your "neighborhood." You are spending time with people Christ asks you to call "brother" and "sister." You'll soon be fellowshipping and eating together.

When you come, I want you to feel like Thomas Cannon felt whenever he would make a sacrifice for others.

He was a postal worker in Richmond, Virginia. Early in his life, from an experience he had in the Navy when he almost died, he concluded that he was spared for a reason. He saw his mission in life being to help others, to be a role model, to inspire people to see what he called "the oneness of it all."

He fulfilled his mission by "giving" to others, instead of acquiring. Over the course of his life, he gave over $150,000 to people who were down on their luck, or who had been "unusually kind or brave." He did this on a salary that never exceeded $20,000 a year, while he supported his wife and two sons. When he retired from the postal service in 1983, he and his wife lived near the poverty line on his pension. "We lived simply," he said before his death in 2005, "so we could give money away."

Giving brought a happiness to him and his family that things couldn't. It bonded him to other people, creating a larger family. It gave him that smile and a sense of humor. As his health was failing, he told a Richmond newspaper, "A Baptist deacon who owed me $200 died recently. First thing I'm going to do when I get to the other side is [track] him down."

When he died, this "poor man's philanthropist" did not leave behind a foundation. Instead, he left one simple request:

"Help somebody."

You and I have an opportunity this morning to be Thomas Cannon-to "help somebody." We have an opportunity to help future generations who will sit here long after we're gone.

That's what a "family" does, right?

In a moment, we'll replay the movie you saw earlier. An usher will come to your section with commitment cards to pass out to each family, along with pens if needed-you may have to share a pen with those around you.

There'll be some reflection music for you as you pray over what you'll put on that card.

May what you put on that card be done in the spirit of Thomas Cannon. A "sacrifice" you make isn't to be done mournfully-how can it be, after what you've experienced here? A "sacrifice" is done joyfully, because there's so much more we want to do as Christ's family here at 5275 S. Lindbergh.

My wife and I have joined others in making an early commitment. We have sacrificed. One of the ways I'll fulfill my pledge is designating any raise I may get next year to this campaign. One of the ways Barbara will is by selling some of her collectibles. Yes, we have "sacrificed." And you know what? It feels GREAT! Those who've made early commitments, they feel the same way. In a moment, you will too!

So as you pray and reflect over the next couple of minutes, look around at the family Christ has called you to. As you write down your sacrifice on that card, do it out of a profound sense of both thankfulness and excitement. Then, when the hymn begins, SPRING UP, and place them in one of the baskets you'll see. SPRING UP, because you just can't wait to come, singing all the way like those first Christians did so many years ago, and like past generations of our church did: you just can't wait to share your promise with the 100's of other promises your brothers and sisters will make unto the Lord this morning.

My brothers and sisters-today, the lights HAVE gone out at Concord Trinity United Methodist Church.

So...let the Son "shine"!